The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-25
GOWNS OF THE BENCH.
A Most Important Item in the Life of Our
Learned Supreme Court Justices

Washington Lette New York Herald
The Supreme Court justices are the only
American officials who have distinctive dress
while on duty. 1t is wickedly told as an actual
occurrence that when 1t suggested to one OF
the Justices to do away with the black silk
gowns which the justices when sitting III
court, the judge exclaimed in holy horror-.Do
away with the gowns, sir. Do away with the
gowns! If You do away with the gowns, sir,
what will be left of the court ?"
ms story may be exaggerated. but it is per-
fectly true that the Supreme Court justices do
take great pride in their gowns.
Not long ago of them, who is now among
the seniors that bench at a White House
reception while talking with the Chinese minis
ter, was seen to feel the gown of the latter and
examine its texture. after which he told the
minister the material was far better than that
of the gown he while in court.
All the associate justices gowns of black
silk The Chief justice wears one of black
Chinese satin. but it is impossible to get it in
this country as heavy as that the Chinese min
lister wears.
The gowns. if worn by ladies, would be called
Mother Hubbard gowns" from the style in
which they are made. They cost over one hun
dred dollars each. Justice Miller is believed to
have had the only Paris gown on the bench for
that he had few years ago actually made
under his wife's instructions by fashionable
modesto in Paris. She could find no tailors
worn by scientists and others in Europe differ
wholly in style of making from those our judges
wear.
These gowns are made of wide straight widths.
and are three yards and a quarter wide at the
bottom and long enough to reach nearly to the
ankles. They have narrow hem around the
bottom and broad one straight down the front
Ihey are gagged at the top to yoke which is
short on the shoulders, and forms deep scallop
at the back. This yoke has silk lining between
the outside and the inner of silk.
The sleeves are yard and d quarter wide
ana long enough to reach the hands, and the
lining is formed by doubling the material at the
bottom, turning 1t up the inside and plating
1t on about a quarter of yard above the bot
tom to a narrower silk lining which fits the arm
ms makes the lower part of each sleeve appear
to be a wide, loose puff They are gagged to
the yoke on the shoulders with many rows of
gauglng. but not so many as at the back of the
gown. where 1t IS a quarter of yard deep.
These gowns have been made in the same way
for number of years, but it seems that when
our Supreme Court was first organized the gowns
We're more gaudy than now, though apparently
the first hief-justice. John JAY which hangs
in the robing room of the court. it appears that
his black robe had bright red borders on the
sleeves, edged with gray top and bottom. and he
wore bright red scarf laid plain around the
neck and down the front.
The justices now tie on their gowns at their
august neckS. III front, with narrow gros grain
ribbon and have very long black silk scarfs
which are folded about the neck and caught in .
the middle at the back with a passementerie
button and cord. They open down the front
having flowing appearance as the judges move
III procession from the robing- room to the bench.
The Chief-justice always gets a new gown
when he has to swear in President of the
United States. The present Chief justice has
sworn in Hayes. Garfield Arthur and Cleve-
land The other justices ordinarily do not get
new gowns oftener than once in four years on
account of their being so expensive. and so they
get very ragged indeed sometimes and are
patched and darned by faithful wives, except in
The case OF Justice Gray, who is bachelor.
A story is told of justice of great height,
who put his foot through rent in his gown and,
all unconscious that he had done so. solennly